All Things Considered

Commonly referred to as "ATC" and a staple for afternoon commutes, NPR's nationally syndicated afternoon news magazine brings you closer to home with the presence of WAMU's local host.

Since May 3, 1971 All Things Considered has been produced every day from NPR's headquarters in Washington, D.C. Featuring a mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features, "ATC" produces 2 hours of fresh content every day for hundreds of public radio stations around the United States.

Elliott Francis

Local Host, All Things Considered

Francis has worked alongside some of the most influential media executives in the U.S. during his 25 years as a news anchor, including FOX News President and Chairman Roger Ailes, former CNN Executive Vice President Ed Turner, and the founder and former CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, John H. Johnson. In 2002, shortly after joining the ABC news affiliate in Washington DC (WJLA-TV) as the morning co-anchor, Francis was thrust into the rigors of live, non-stop coverage of the DC sniper shootings and investigation, sometimes speaking 8-9 hours unscripted. A skilled interviewer, Francis once convinced singer John Denver to go "on-camera" with details of his upcoming DUI trial.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Now that Missouri Republican Todd Akin is not dropping out of the Senate race against incumbent Claire McCaskill, the GOP is rethinking how distant it wants to remain from him. Akin became toxic for remarks about "legitimate rape" — but the GOP Senate map nationwide is looking increasingly grim.

Spain is slashing another $50 billion from its budget — scrapping early retirement programs, hiking taxes and sparking public outrage in the streets. Madrid is struggling to avoid a second, larger European Union bailout, beyond what it's already getting for its banks. But markets have plummeted, dragged down by investors' doubts about whether Spain can go it alone.

When the archbishop of Newark, N.J., said that people who support same-sex marriage should refrain from communion, he was just one of several bishops taking aim at such unions. His comments came on the heels of the Bishops' campaign about contraception and they have led some see to see it as a political move.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly on Thursday. Netanyahu called for clear red lines on Iran. Abbas accused Israel of carrying out terrorist attacks by destroying settlements in the West Bank.

After the Midwest's driest summer in decades, farmers are assessing their losses and gains. Despite the hit many farms took, the Agriculture Department predicts record high farm income this year, thanks to higher prices and federally subsidized crop insurance.

The city is surprisingly diverse, with more than 90 languages spoken in its public schools. Local officials and residents are working to turn that diversity into an economic advantage — but creating a sense of community among such diverse groups is no small challenge.

At the helm of an underdog team that won one of the most dramatic World Series ever, Tony La Russa "retired" in just about the best way possible. Robert Siegel talks with La Russa about his new baseball memoir One Last Strike and his remarkable 33 year career as one of the best managers in Major League Baseball history.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Scientists have discovered that a mouse found in Africa can lose large patches of skin and then grow it back without scarring, perhaps as a way of escaping the clutches of a predator. It's a finding that challenges the conventional view that mammals have an extremely limited ability to replace injured body parts.

This month, the British government issued licenses allowing trained marksmen in southwest England to shoot badgers. Farmers — and many scientists — say the animals pose a health threat to cattle. But the decision has outraged British animal lovers.

Tokyo's flamboyant and ultraconservative governor, Shintaro Ishihara, said last spring that his city would buy some islands in the East China Sea. Today, China and Japan are caught in a war of words over who controls those islands. Some observers call Ishihara's move a power play that has sparked a crisis.

You can find vocal and passionate fans on both sides of the great DC versus Marvel Comics debate — but there's one thing both sides agree on: Movies featuring Marvel characters are far more successful than DC's at the box office.

One of the key challenges to Greek businesses in the wake of the financial crisis is getting credit. Some companies have turned to cash and laid off workers, but it's been difficult to find the funds to keep up production.

When aspiring Broadway actress Catherine and World War II vet Harry first lock eyes on the Staten Island Ferry, everything changes — but their lives together won't be easy. Mark Helprin delivers an old-fashioned love story, and an ode to 1940s New York, in his novel In Sunlight and in Shadow.

It's been more than a month since the government began accepting requests for its Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, a new policy for young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children. It means that for two years they can avoid deportation and get a work permit.

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